The Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur faces familiar pressure in 2026 after another early playoff exit in 2025.
Around the NFL, however, the coaches responsible for stopping his offense continue to view him among the league’s best play callers.
LaFleur finished No. 4 in The Athletic’s latest ranking of the NFL’s top offensive play callers, moving up from No. 6 last year.
The list was based on anonymous ballots from eight defensive play callers and defensive assistant coaches around the league.
That placed LaFleur two spots ahead of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who fell from fourth last year to sixth.
Kyle Shanahan finished first, followed by Sean McVay and Ben Johnson, while Liam Coen rounded out the top five.
LaFleur received a highest ranking of No. 3 and a lowest of No. 9. Reid also climbed as high as third on an individual ballot but fell as low as 10th.
The result gives LaFleur another ringing endorsement entering a season where the focus will be on turning offensive efficiency into a deeper January run.
LaFleur Finishes Ahead of Andy Reid in NFL Poll
GettyLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 04: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Finishing ahead of Reid makes LaFleur’s placement especially noteworthy.
Reid has spent decades building a reputation as one of football’s most accomplished offensive coaches and has won three Super Bowls with Kansas City.
LaFleur doesn’t have the same postseason career, but the defensive coaches surveyed by The Athletic placed the Packers coach ahead of him when judging the play-calling challenge each presents.
Green Bay’s raw offensive numbers from last season were hardly overwhelming. The Packers scored 391 points, an average of 23.0 per game, which ranked 16th in the NFL.
The efficiency underneath those numbers looked considerably better. Pro Football Focus noted earlier this offseason that Green Bay finished third in EPA per play in 2025, even with quarterback Jordan Love missing time.
Love started 15 games and completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He finished with a 101.2 passer rating, while Green Bay went 9-5-1 in his starts.
Those numbers help explain why LaFleur can receive stronger marks from opposing defensive coaches than Green Bay’s scoring ranking might suggest.
His offense boasted efficiency while navigating injuries and an uneven finish to the season.
Packers Still Need Offensive Reputation to Work in January
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 20: Head coach Matt Lafleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The respect for LaFleur’s play calling comes with a separate question about Green Bay’s postseason results.
LaFleur owns a 76-40-1 regular-season record through seven seasons and has taken the Packers to the playoffs six times. Green Bay has also reached the postseason in all three seasons with Love as its primary starting quarterback.
The Packers have only one playoff victory during that three-year stretch, though.
Last season ended with a 31-27 wild-card loss to the Chicago Bears after Green Bay finished 9-7-1.
It was the Packers’ third consecutive postseason defeat and extended a playoff drought that has become increasingly difficult to separate from LaFleur’s otherwise impressive regular-season record.
NBC Sports reflected that tension in its offseason head coach rankings. Patrick Daugherty placed LaFleur No. 10 overall, praising his ability to design individual plays while questioning his sequencing and Green Bay’s struggles to close out elimination games.
Pro Football Focus offered a more favorable assessment, ranking LaFleur sixth among NFL head coaches and pointing to Green Bay’s efficiency under his direction.
The Athletic’s poll provides another perspective because it comes from coaches preparing directly against LaFleur’s offense.
He now enters 2026 ranked ahead of Reid and behind only Shanahan, McVay and Johnson as a play caller.
The challenge is utilizing his offensive guru prowess (and hoping his defense does its part) when it matters most in January.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur Tops Legendary NFL Coach in New Ranking appeared first on HEAVY.